Hollows Don't Mind the Rain
by Junsui Kegasu
Summary: In which Zangetsu and Ichigo's hollow have a conversation and contemplate the rain. Mild ZangetsuHichigo shounen ai.


The world that they shared wasn't really a world, but the confines of it were all that he would see until Ichigo lost control again. For that, he couldn't really complain, he supposed. Their not-really-world didn't even look like it had confines, but he had tried and there was, indeed, an end to the white surrounding the skyscrapers all around them.

All at once, this world was far too large for two people, but if their separate powers were added together, the world suddenly seemed far too small. And when the thunder started to sound off in the distance before coming up to encompass the back half of Ichigo's mind, it seemed even smaller, for then they had to flee and be closer to the front, weighing down on the boy's thoughts. Not that he cared, but Zangetsu seemed to have a certain affinity for his… master. The undeserving boy-king, that's all Ichigo was.

But, Zangetsu hated the rain, and somehow it seemed to coincide that he would be up with Ichigo, trying to help him stop it, when it came. Sometimes, he himself just slunk off to the back and let himself become drenched. Ichigo's sadness was a peculiar thing to a hollow, after all. One day, the rain impeded so far that there was scarcely enough room for them to be in the dry area without their normal distance from each other. He let Zangetsu have it. Hollows didn't mind the rain.

The storm was intense; he was actually quite curious to see where it would end up and to join in, but he was barred from doing that unless without his aid, death would occur. He scowled, laying back on the building wall he was on and spreading his limbs. The rain soaked right through his clothing, almost soothing in the way it was so full of emotion. Not good emotion, but who was to say he liked it when Ichigo had good emotions, either?

He lay there in his thoughts for almost a full hour, almost asleep, when suddenly the lack of wet hitting him caused him to lazily open an inverted eye, surprised to see a very drenched Zangetsu standing above him.

"Old man," he greeted with a frown. "Whatcha doing back here? You got a dumbass to save," he reminded him.

"Ichigo will do fine now," he said smoothly. "Why are you just…basking in this awful weather?"

"Because I don't mind it," he said smoothly, getting more comfortable on the wall to prove his point. "The sun always manages to come out somehow."

"You seem bitter about this," Zangetsu suggested, sitting down next to him. This was bizarre; they generally weren't this close, ever. Not even when they talked.

"His persistent optimism is rather nauseating," the hollow said causally, minutely scooting away. Physical contact wasn't his forte. As he said it, the clouds receded, the sun warming his soaked skin. He sighed and shielded his eyes from the light with an air of irritation. Next to him, Zangetsu smiled.

"And you know, without it, both of us would be long gone."

The white man rolled his eyes beneath his eyelids. This must be where Ichigo's optimism came from. "Whatever. The emotion is curious," he admitted.

"I will agree with you on that." Ichigo's hollow opened both eyes this time and sat up, sensing a conversation. "Sometimes, it's like his emotions just go right through you and for one moment – "

"You think you can feel," he finished softly. He knew it well; when Ichigo's adrenaline was up, he was bouncing off the walls. When he was sad, he got tired like this, soaking everything in. And now that the initial annoyance at the bright light was gone, he could feel himself feeling almost content.

"I don't know about you, but I don't like feeling sad," Zangetsu said. "So that's why I try to stop the rain."

It made sense, he thought. "I don't mind feeling the kid's sadness. It's the pain I don't really care for."

"Yes, that's quite blistering," Zangetsu agreed. "And usually that's when the harshest storms come." The hollow nodded. "It's harder the stop the rain, then," the sword continued. The hollow shrugged and then nodded again.

There was silence for a bit. Slowly, the hollow was getting used to the lack of space between him and the sword. He had lay back and almost drifted off to sleep again with his arm thrown over his eyes to block the sunlight when words penetrated the space again.

"I don't despise your presence, you know."

This was shocking enough that the white being next to him actually sat up, gave him a bizarre look, and stretched, considering. "I can't say I hate ya all that much either, Old Man." Zangetsu smiled at the nick name.

"Won't you help me stop the rain?" he asked. "Sometimes it's hard for just one person, and there are two in this mind."

The hollow almost considered it, but then he laughed, his warped voice echoing throughout the space. "Old Man, you forget my role." He stood up and stretched again. "I'm a hollow, you're a sword. My job is to antagonize, and even if you don't mind my presence, your instinct is to destroy me, hm?"

He bounced away, letting Zangetsu think about that. "Thanks for the offer, though."

When he was long gone, the sword contemplated the hollow's words and smiled. He had gotten farther than he expected, after all.


End file.
